What is the Child Protection Working Group?

The Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) is the global level forum for coordination on child protection in humanitarian settings. The group brings together NGOs, UN agencies, academics and others under the shared objective of ensuring more predictable, accountable and effective child protection responses in emergencies. In the humanitarian system, the CPWG constitutes an “area of responsibility” within the Global Protection Cluster [1].

What is child protection in emergencies?

Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) is “the prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation of and violence against children in emergencies” (CPWG agreed definition June 2010). [2] In practice child protection work includes specific programmes run by child protection specialists as well as actions integrated into all other humanitarian sectors.

Who are the members of the CPWG?

NGOs, UN agencies, and other international actors [3] come together to form the CPWG, working in line with the Principles of Partnership endorsed by the Global Humanitarian Platform. As the global lead on child protection, UNICEF coordinates the CPWG and is also the “provider of last resort.” NGOs and other CPWG members lead the majority of CPWG initiatives and drive the development of the work plan. Many of the strong interagency relationships within the global CPWG are reflected in field level child protection coordination groups.
Click here to know more about the CPWG membership and how to engage.

How does the CPWG carry out its work?

Annual planning meetings are held to exchange field-level experiences, review current trends and gaps in the field of child protection, and develop inter-agency strategies to strengthen child protection responses. Initiatives in the current CPWG workplan aim to: develop operational standards for child protection; enhance the capacity of the child protection in emergencies workforce, improve assessment of child protection needs; strengthen child protection coordination in emergencies; and raise the profile of and support for the sector. The Geneva based coordinator, Capacity Building Focal Point, and Rapid Response Team also provide support to field level child protection coordination groups.

To achieve its goals the CPWG works closely with other sectoral groups such as those working on protection, gender-based violence, mental health and psychosocial support and education.

Who funds the Child Protection Working Group?

Member agencies commit resources and staff time to CPWG work. Additionally ECHO, DFID, NORAD, DANIDA, SIDA and SDA have contributed funds for work plan initiatives and the staffing of the coordination function.

For further information regarding the global level Child Protection Working Group, including on current activities, the Rapid Response Team and other resources to support child protection programmes at field level, please contact Katy Barnett, cbarnett@unicef.org

Download a printer friendly version of this CPWG One Pager
Download the CPWG Terms of Reference
Download the Membership paper on how to engage with the CPWG as member and other options 

[1] The other areas of responsibility under the protection cluster are: gender-based violence, housing land and property issues and mine action.

[2] This contrasts with the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) definition of protection which includes all human rights.

[3] present participants include: Childfund, Child Soldiers International, Child Protection In Crisis, Danish Refugee Council, Geneva Call, Heartland Alliance, International Committee of the Red Cross, Norwegian Refugee Council, International Rescue Committee, International Labour Organisation, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Keeping Children Safe Coalition, Plan International, Save the Children, SOS Children’s Villages, Terre des Hommes, UNHCR, UNICEF, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, War Child Holland, War Child UK, Watchlist on Children and Armed Conflict, and World Vision International.

*Homepage photograph credits: © UNICEF/NYHQ2010-0814/Holt

Child Protection Working Group Quarterly Bulletin

Click on the thumbnail below to find the latest Quarterly Bulletin (Feb 2011 -April 2012), issued April 2012. Click here if you wish to download the printer-friendly version.

The next CPWG Quarterly Bulletin will be issued in mid-July 2012. Please send any contributions directly to cbarnett@unicef.org.

Recent Bulletins:

CPWG Quarterly Bulletin, issued January 2012

CPWG Quarterly Bulletin, issued October 2011